Device for forming trouser cuffs



March 6, 1956 w. c. BOWLER 2,737,320

DEVICE FOR FORMING TROUSER CUFFS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28 2 I'll//' 37 INVENTOR.

H J llu r 1 r In 1 (E r/ BY hug ATTORNEY wlLLmM BMW-ER March 6, 1956 w. c. BOWLER 2,737,320

DEVICE FOR FORMING TROUSER CUFFS Filed March 28, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WILLIAM C BOW ER.

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March 6, 95 w. c. BOWLER DEVICE FOR FORMING TROUSER CUFFS 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 28, 1955 INVENTOR. mumn c. MWLER United States Patent DEVICE FOR FORMING TROUSER CUFFS William C. Bowler, Detroit, Mich.

Application March 28, 1955, Serial No. 497,164)

4 Claims. (Cl. 223-2) The object of the invention is to produce a device by means of which the end portion of a trouser leg may be neatly and easily folded into a cuff which thereafter may be finished by stitching in the customary manner.

A more specific object of the invention is to produce a device whichwill be adapted to work efficiently upon trouser legs of different widths without the need of changing the size or sizes of the operative elements of the device. To carry out said objects the device includes means which automatically, without respect to the width of a trouser leg, will stretch said leg to the best position for the formation of the cuff.

Furthermore, the object of the improvement is to provide a device of simple structure, low in cost, and easy to operate, but fully practical for the purpose for which it has been designed.

I shall now describe said device with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device;

Fig. 4 is a top elevational view of the device, the view disclosing certain elements in an initial stage of its operation;

Fig. 5 is also a top elevational view of the device but with elements in different operative positions than those shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 shows an enlarged view of anauxiliary member adapted to be used with the device, the view including a part of a trouser leg;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view of elements shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 8.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the form shown in the drawings, the device includes a rectangular base 10 which is a part of a stand including legs 10a. Mounted upon said base, at the left end, along its front edge 11, is a standard 12, and secured to the top thereof is a plate 13 which will be designated herein as a stretcher. At this point I wish to mention that the operative parts of the device are best made of metal.

The above-said stretcher is disposed in a horizontal position and extends crosswise over the base towards its rear edge. On one side the stretcher is defined by a straight line 14. At the opposite side it is defined, in part, by a straight line 15, and then, as the width of the stretcher is reduced by another straight line 16, the two lines being connected by a transverse line which defines a shoulder 17. In its continuation, said line 16 describes an are 18 intersecting said first-named side 14.

Secured to the edge of the stretcher is a vertical trough 20 which is arcuate in transverse section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 9, the connection between the trough and the stretcher being such that the. latter fits into the 2,737,320 Pittented Mar. 6, 1955 interior of the trough and bisects it vertically, while the sides of the trough curve towards the stretcher. The trough extends upwardly for some distance above the shoulder 17 so that a free space 21 is left between the inner surface 22 of the trough and the edge 16 of the stretcher above said shoulder, as best shown in Fig. 4.

Welded to the outer surface of the trough, radially with respect to the arc-shaped outline thereof, is a fin 23, the fin extending from the lower end of the trough to the level of the shoulder 17. I

Pivotally connected to the underside of the front or Wider end of the stretcher 13, by means of a pin 24, is a short link 25. This, in turn, is pivotally connected, by means of a pin 26, to a flat lever 27. One end 28 of the lever serves as a handle. The opposite end includes a short right-angle extension 29 which terminates with a slender bar 30, the bar extending reversely withrespect to the body of the lever 27 in parallel relation thereto, the lower end of the bar being marked 31.

Disposed at the opposite side of the base 10 are a number of elements which are identical with those already described and which, for that reason, are identified by the same numerals, with the exception of a spreader identical with spreader 13 but marked 13a. The last-named member is mounted on a standard 32 which rises from a movable platform 33. The platform is adapted to slide transversely to the front of the base 10, and for that purpose is mounted by means of two sliding blocks 34 on two parallel shafts 35. The shafts are supported at opposite ends by posts 36. Numeral 37 indicates flanges by means of which blocks 34 are attached to the underside of the platform.

Depending from one end of the platform 33 is a tongue 38, and attached to the tongue is one end of a'coiled spring 39, the other end of which is anchored to a stationary member 40 located upon one end portion of the connected to the upper end of a rod which is shapedinto an L-shaped pedal 45. For guidance, the rod is disposed within a vertical bore 10c in a horizontal rail 1% forming a part of the stand which supports base 10.

The manner in which the device is to be operated is as follows:

In order to describe the operation of the device, it must be first mentioned that, as a rule, a trouser leg which is to be provided with a end is already made in such a manner that the end portion of the leg is turned inwardly into the leg in a hair-pin turn or fold, and that the edge of the textile material out of which the leg is made is stitched to the adjoining layer of the material. However, for the purpose of a clearer presentation in the drawings of the operation of the device, the leg of the trousers shown in Figs. 4 and 5 will be treated as if its lower end of a single layer of material is devoid of the folded-over feature just described.

To start with, the end 50 of a leg of trousers 51 is to be drawn manually over the curved ends of the stretchthe stretchers and over the troughs till the marginal! 3 portion 50 of the leg has reached the upper end 23a of fin 23. When this has been done, the pedal may be released, whereupon the platform, responding to the pull of spring 39, will move the stretcher 13:: away from its counterpart 13, as far as the internal dimension of the leg will permit it, thus keeping the leg stretched laterally.

It will be noted that at this stage of the operation the bars 30 of the levers 27 are out of contact with the trouser leg 51. Now, for the next step of the operation of the device, the bars 30 are swung towards each other, as shown by arrows shown in Fig. 4. At this point I will restrict the description to one side of the trousers, it being understood that the functions described on one side of the device with respect to the trouser leg will be duplicated at the same time on the other side thereof.

7 As a bar 30 is swung towards the trouser leg, it will deflect the textile fabric of the leg towards the adjoining stretcher 13 to line 51a shown in dots, and will assume a vertical position directly above the free space 21 between the inner surface 22 of the trough 20 and the edge 16 of the stretcher 13. At this juncture both levers will be pulled simultaneously towards the operator who will stand in front of the device. As a result, bar 30 will enter into said free space 21, pushing into the space the fabric of the leg, displacing it from the outer surface of the trough '20. The end portion of the leg will thus be formed into a hair-pin fold or cuff 54 wherein the loop 53 of the fabric will form the lower end of the leg, While the previously lower edge 50 of the leg will be spaced from said loop 53, as shown in Fig. 5.

As explained above, the end portion of the trouser leg in which the cuff was formed 'was' made of a single layer of textile material. Actually, according to the present practice, before the cuff is formed on a trouser leg, the material is already doubled upon itself in a hair-pin fold and stitched in place. When, therefore, a cuff is to be made, it is a double layer of the material that is formed into a cuff. This is shown in Fig. 6 where a cuff in a trouser leg 57 is marked 56.

For the purpose of removing the trouser leg ft or '57, as the case may be, from the stretchers l3 and 13a, the bars 30 are withdrawn by means of levers 27 from the formed cu'lf. This is done by returning the levers to their original positions as shown in Fig. 4, whereupon an auxiliary device may be applied to the 'ieg. The device consists 'of a handle made of stiff, spring-like wire in the shape of a broad letter U, the handle including two legs '60. Each of the legs carries at its end a blade 61 which includes a curled-over portion embracing the end of the respective leg as a means of being connected thereto. The blades are disposed in the same plane as the curled portions of the blades facing each other. The curled portions are marked 62.

As the handle is resilient, it is possible to squeeze the legs towards each other manually so that the blades may be easily inserted into the trouser leg while it is held by said stretchers. This done, the stretchers may be brought closer to each other by means of the pedal 45, allowing the leg, now held by the outer edges 63 of blades 61, to be pulled off said stretchers without disarranging the cuff. Once the trouser leg has been so pulled off, the cuff may be stitched in place.

After having described my improvement, what I wish to claim is as follows:

1. A device adapted to form a cuff in a trouser leg, the device including a base, two standards mounted on the base in a spaced relation to each other, a flat stretcher disposed horizontally on top of each standard, the stretchers on both standards being disposed in the same plane in a parallel relation to each other, a trough mounted on each stretcher parallel thereto in a manner leaving a free space between the side edge of the stretcher and the inner surface of the trough, the stretchers with said troughs being adapted to be inserted into the lower end of the trouser leg to stretch said leg laterally, spring means to keep the standards in a yielding spaced relation to each other, a separate lever pivotally attached to each stretcher and including a reversely disposed slender bar, the bars being adapted to be swung against the opposite sides of the trouser leg, each to a position in vertical alinernent with the above-said free space, and to be drawn with the fabric of the trousers into the free space whereby each bar will loop the fabric into a cuff,

2. A device to be used to form a cuff in a trouser leg, the device including a base, two standards mounted on the base in a spaced relation to each other, a fiat stretcher disposed horizontally on top of each standard, the stretchers on both standards being disposed in the same plane in a parallel relation to each other, spring means to keep the standards in a spaced relation to each other, each stretcher including a transverse shoulder, a trough mounted on each stretcher, parallel thereto, in a manner leaving a free space between one side of the stretcher, beginning at the shoulder, and the inner surface of the trough, the standards with the stretchers thereon being adapted to be brought towards each other against the tension of the spring means in order that the end por tion of the trouser leg may be drawn over the stretchers and the trough to the shoulders, a lever pivotally attached, intermediate its ends, to each stretcher by means of a cross-link and including, at one end, a handle portion and, at the other end, a reversely-extending bar, each of the bars being adapted to be swung against the fabric of the trouser leg on the respective side thereof, the bars, with the fabric of the trousers, being adapted, by means of said handles, to be drawn into the respective free spaces whereby each bar will loop the fabric into a cuff.

3. A device adapted to form a cuff in a trouser leg, the device including a base, a stationary standard rising from one end thereof, 'a horizontal stretcher mounted on top of the standard at right angle to the front of the base, a movable standard at the opposite end of the base, a stretcher mounted on top thereof in parallel relation to the first-named stretcher and in the plane thereof, spring means to keep the stretchers in a spaced relation to each other, a trough mounted on each stretcher parallel thereto in a manner leaving a free space between one side edge of the stretcher and the inner surface of the trough, the stretcher on the movable standard being adapted to be moved towards the stretcher on the stationary standard against the tension of said spring means, both stretchers, with the troughs, being adapted to be inserted into the trouser leg from its end to stretch said leg laterally, a separate lever pivotally attached to each stretcher and including 'at one end a reversely extending slender bar, the bars being adapted to be swung against the opposite sides of the trouser leg, each to a position in vertical alinement with the above-said 'free space, and to be drawn, with the fabric of the trousers, into the free space whereby each bar will loop the fabric into a cuff.

4. A device adapted to form a cuff in a trouser leg, the device including a base, a stationary standard rising from one end thereof, a horizontal stretcher mounted on top of the standard at right angle to the front of the base, a movable platform at the other end of the base, a second standard rising from the platform, a stretcher mounted on the second standard, the two stretchers being disposed in the same vplane parallel to each other, spring means urging the platform away from the stationary standard, cable means connected to the platform and terminating with pedal means under the base to cause the platform to move towards the stationary standard against ,the tension of the spring means, a trough mounted on each stretcher parallel thereto in a manner leaving a free space between one side edge of the stretcher and the inner surface of the trough, both stretchers, with the troughs, being adapted to be inserted into the trouser leg from its end to stretch said leg laterally, a separate lever pivotally attached to each stretcher and including at one end a reversely'disposed slender bar, the bars being adapted to be swung against the opposite sides of the trouser leg, each to a position in ver- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Blumenfeld Aug. 26, 1947 

